Kessa's page

Guys, I'm sorry, but I've reached the conclusion that this campaign isn't for me. It's a matter of play-styles not meshing well. I'm not going into details to avoid sounding like I'm complaining or asking you guys to change. I thank you for the chance to play with you, and wish you all happy gaming.

Redelia

Kessa steps forward next to Brother Guiness, and then swipes at the stylish goblin with the aqua hat.

attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13
dmg: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (4, 2) + 7 = 13

Kessa brings her sword down on the goblin with the yellow hat.

attk: 1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 + 2 = 17 flanking
dmg: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (6, 5) + 7 = 18

I would guess that's one very smushed goblin...

edit: I forgot to mention that Kessa uses a swift action to use Lay on Hands on herself, gaining back 1d6 ⇒ 1 hit points.

Kessa has no spells at this level; that's why there's nothing in her header.

I think the problem here with the rules and common sense is initiative starting too soon. If initiative started just after Kessa broke down the door, she would be flat footed which would allow the bad guy to move away. As that is not how this was set up, Kessa isn't flat footed except perhaps by GM fiat, so all the monster can do is 5-ft step away. I would not object to such a GM fiat, though.

Kessa slams herself against the door, trying to force it open. "Lady Sarenrae, aid your humble servant!"

STR check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20

I didn't add in the +2 from B.G.'s aid to that.

Kessa smiles at Brother Guiness. "Do you want help forcing the door, or should we try another approach?"

If Brother Guiness asks for her help, Kessa tries to force the door. If Tamlara tries to get up to the door, Kessa lets her past.

Current plan is fine with me. Kessa will go all the way up the stairs, right behind BG, with Boudacia on her shoulder.

Kessa climbs up after Brother Guiness, ready to heal him if he takes damage. She invites Boudacia to stay close.

My vote would be to stick with our original plan.

If Tamlara is first, Kessa just behind her can heal her if something goes wrong. Gansu has offered to be in back this time, so I would suggest the order be as follows:
Tamlara
Kessa (sharing with Boudacia)
Brother Guiness
Sama
Aldranhald
Gansu

Tamlara can try to acrobatics to the other side. Kessa can heal Tamlara if things go really bad; otherwise she will move up close to the enemy, soak up hits, and provide a flanking foil for Tamlara. Boudacia will be in position for her slumber hex. Brother Guiness should try to get into melee as soon as he can. Sama can provide some spell support as soon as possible. Aldranhald and Gansu can come join us as soon as they can get around.

Is everyone OK with this? I'm not trying to be bossy, it's just the way PBP works that sometimes one person needs to suggest a strategy for everyone.

Kessa helps Gansu move the rubble out of the way. Only Gansu is close enough to hear that she is humming very softly as she works.

Kessa stays far enough behind the stealthy ones that her clanking noises don't get in their way, but close enough to aid them quickly if they find any enemies.

Yeah, I can see some definitions of count excluding squirrels. However, for Alex the parrot I don't think that works. More info here and here.

Alex the african grey (parrot) can count. I can tell you from experience that grey squirrels know the difference between one and two. They know to wait for 2 peanuts if you feed them.

Kessa nods to Aldhranhald's suggestion. She contemplates if there is any way to ask the little bat for more information, but isn't sure how.

I can explain the 'two spires problem' since I'm running Emerald Spire for my family. The original Emerald Spire is truly ancient, and is a thin green pillar-like object that runs through the levels. The green glass tower that can be seen from the outside was build much more recently (although still ancient). I don't know how much more than that the GM wants everyone to know, so I'll stop there. (Stormstrider, the details are on pg 17, if you want to decide to share more.)

"I am also willing to hang back if needed. No need to hear me clanking around if you are trying to be sneaky and investigate."

Kessa looks over the map and nods. "Ok, now I see where you haven't been yet. Any other questions, or are we ready to move on?"

Kessa smiles at Alex. "Give me just a moment before I can answer you." She then uses detect evil on her possible new companions. Finding nothing, she relaxes. "Yes, I can promise to care for and protect these people until they choose to cease traveling with me."

I'll stick with my great sword because I've already invested a feat in being good with it. It also just fits better with the feel of this character.

Yeah, I as a player realize detect evil wouldn't show up anything even if one of them was of evil alignment, but I don't think that's something that Kessa would understand. She would just know she had this ability, and that it turned up anyone who was 'evil enough.'

I love the spell paladin's sacrifice, but it only works if your character can absorb major hit point damage. It's relatively unknown because it's a paladin exclusive.

"May I use a harmless magic ability on you? My Lady and my oaths forbid me to travel with those who do not seek good. I am sure you are all people of good will, but I must be sure before I can assist you. You will not feel anything or have any ill effects of my magic."

Assuming everyone agrees, Kessa uses detect evil.

Kessa smiles a little at Alex's greeting. "I am glad to see a fellow servant of the Lady of Light. I am Kessa."

I am fine with you rolling saves. Please be aware that as Kessa levels up there may be bonuses to saves of those near her due to auras.

As the echoes of combat noise die down, Kessa looks at the party they have met in the Spire. She is trying to determine who they are, and if they are trustworthy. She is going to ask permission to detect evil on them before joining with them.

Next level I get mercies, which remove negative conditions, added to lay on hands. Can I use up a use of lay on hands to apply a mercy without healing on her?

Your ruling on lay on hands and a dhampir? It probably doesn't work as the rules are written, but I wanted your ruling on it.

Ptttthht... stupid terrain. Please save that attack for on my next turn, then. Sorry.

Kessa walks up to the creepy construct and swings her sword at it.

attack: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 9 + 1 = 26
damage: 2d6 + 7 ⇒ (3, 3) + 7 = 13

"The Lady Sarenrae watch over you also, fellow adventurers."

I'm glad you got good news, Stormstrider. I'm fine with a slow but steady paced game. I will admit that my patience is low with games that spurt off and on.

Kessa nods at Brother Guiness's comment and grips her sword, ready for whatever is on the other side of the door.

"Let's listen for a moment first, and then go." answers Kessa.

perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

I've finished reading over the gameplay so far. It took all morning. I'll try to at least skim all of discussion, but that seems a little less critical.

The only 'house rule' I have found so far is that taking 10 on a skill takes one minute (by the book it's the same as a rolled attempt in terms of time). Is this correct? Is this the only house rule?

I also have a question about a grey area in the rules I would like adjudicated before it comes up. Does Kessa's lay on hands ability heal a dhampir? It never says it's positive energy that I can find, but it does even have an option to be used to hurt undead.

Kessa wrote:

OCD is a term that gets used both for the clinical condition and a milder form that is probably best accepted as a quirk and left alone. I have at least one family member who was diagnosed and required treatment. Many of the rest of us have milder versions of the same thing. We don't seek treatment or diagnosis simply because it doesn't get in the way of living a normal life; in us it just makes 'quirks.'

That is precisely right as I understand it.

Somebody who has what is loosely called OCD is a bit of a perfectionist, which is very much a positive for some purposes.

A lot of mental health conditions are perhaps exaggerations of characteristics of some perfectly healthy people. OCD is thoroughness and perfectionism when it gets out of control and becomes pathological.

A question Kessa. How much help was the treatment for the OCD recieved by your relative?

I'm talking about something between just perfectionist, which is still normal, and clinical OCD. We all know to keep an eye on it and seek help if it starts to interfere with life. As an example, we have the urge to check if we locked the door over and over again, we just only check once and then tell ourselves we already checked.

The treatment was actually a lot of help. It was very intensive (at least 8 weeks residential), and it wasn't supposed to make everything go away; instead it was to teach tools to cope. That family member has achieved a much more normal life than we would ever have thought possible.

OCD is a term that gets used both for the clinical condition and a milder form that is probably best accepted as a quirk and left alone. I have at least one family member who was diagnosed and required treatment. Many of the rest of us have milder versions of the same thing. We don't seek treatment or diagnosis simply because it doesn't get in the way of living a normal life; in us it just makes 'quirks.'

Except perhaps the room full of homophobic Balrogs with an attitude problem that Stormstrider is threatening us with.

Maybe they're just rabidly feminist Japanese balrogs?

Ummm ... Kessa? Your 'mini' is in the wrong room. It is in room A9 with the players I already had, whereas you're supposed to be in room A11 (further South). You will see BG & Gansu already there.

My apologies. I must have misunderstood something you said slightly. It's fixed now.

If Brother Guiness wants to take the lead, that's fine. Kessa is slightly lower in HP, noticably lower in AC, but higher in saves. If we're in an area we are really worried about traps, it might make more sense for Kessa to be up front with the rogue since she has a much better reflex save.

As Kessa hears the banter continue, she thinks, I hope there is a small chapel to Lady Sarenrae in town. I know she hears my prayers just as well wherever I am, but I have not been in a proper chapel in weeks.

Kessa gets 2 skills per level from class, 2 per level from int, and has taken a skill point for favored class bonus, which gives 5 per level, or a total of ten. I would guess that the favored class bonus wasn't clear in the stat block writeup I posted.

"Even any rare paladins among the Hellknights have erred. They focus on law, forgetting that the point of law is to serve good. However, I agree that this Spire of Emerald sounds like something worth investigating."

Brother_Guiness wrote:

Boudacia,

If it gets us an advantage over the monsters, Brother Guiness will wear whatever you want, but it might lose some of its impact under the full plate armor. He draws the line at his beard, but even I don't know if female dwarves have beards, so that is likely a non-issue.

A matching set of +1 chainmail corset, stockings and suspenders should be ideal. And very fetching.

I am going to stop being preposterous and join the welcoming of Kessa, Brother Guiness and Sama Kattan to the campaign. Hope you all have fun.

Why not make the full plate be pink?

"That may be the obvious next step. However, I should warn you that my oaths include caution in who I choose to associate with. I could not adventure with those of evil intent."

"I am well aware of the reputation of the Hellknights. They take law and subvert it. Law should be a tool in the service of good, spreading the benefits of good to everyone, but the Hellknights elevate law to the ultimate principle. Some of them even go so far as to use law in the service of evil. If they are the legitimate authority in this area, they must be respected, but with a great deal of suspicion and caution."

"Good morning, Brother Guiness. The watch went smoothly, with no threats. I don't know what I will do after we get to town. I can't go home, and the temple that trained me has sent me out to learn from the world. This caravan was just the obvious first step."

Sounds like a bad end to an evening, Stormstrider. Hope everything turns out OK.

Thanks for the welcome, guys.

I think that Kessa will come in as a caravan guard with Brother Guiness. When she was sent out to do good after her training, the first opportunity she found was a man recruiting caravan guards, and so she signed on.

Stormrider, I do have one more question for you. As an angel-blooded aasimar, Kessa has the ability to 'alter self' once a day. I know you said no summoning because of how complicated that is, is there some other ability you would rather I have instead of alter self?

Hey everyone. Kessa is ready to go. Her background is a little vague still. I left the end blank to connect to however Stormstrider wants to bring my character into the party. Also, I can never write all of a character's background until I've started to see them interact with others.

One concern I want to answer: Kessa is shy. It's only until she knows people, though, so it shouldn't mess up group dynamics. I tend to assume that characters talk a lot to each other that isn't recorded, so it won't take much game time for her to warm up to most of you.

Her stats are high enough that I didn't use the most 'optimal' setup; I gave her a high wisdom because I wanted the flavor of that.

The only other thing that I should probably mention is that Kessa follows Sarenrae, so is very big on trying to redeem bad guys. She will probably give every bad guy a chance to repent at the beginning of a battle. She follows Sarenrae's paladin code rather than the generic one.

If you guys feel that the party needs to do something that Kessa probably can't approve of, for the sake of good she would be able to turn away and not notice what is going on, so she won't be too much of a stick in the mud.

Thank you for the recommendation/vote of confidence, Aldhranhald.

I look forward to a fun game with all of you.

Here is the rough draft of Redelia's character. The formatting is a mess, because it's just the export from pcgen; I will clean it up tonight or tomorrow. I also need to type up the background and look over the character one more time for anything silly I did. I also should include her paladin code in the profile, since she is using one published specifically for Sarenrae.

I will try to get her finished up in the next 24 hours.

In terms of major plans for the character, she will be taking the celestial spirit bond option rather than a mount. Her greatsword is her primary weapon.

(I should note that I am reusing an alias.)